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I believe there are periods in my life (sometimes brief moments) when I achieve balance, but it is something that needs constant adjustment. It takes hard work, diligence and brilliant awareness to maintain it.
Here's a quote I think sums it up best...
"Balancing life is like standing on a balance beam.
You must keep adjusting to find the center,
and then readjust to find it again and again."
"You won't always be able to give equal amounts of time
You must keep adjusting to find the center,
and then readjust to find it again and again."
"You won't always be able to give equal amounts of time
to all areas of your life that are important to you, and that's okay.
Balance is about giving each area a turn in the spotlight -
just not all at the same time."
Here's what I do to keep more balance in my life:
Let It Go! Forget the nonsense. Don't hold anger. I don't replay over and over what happened yesterday and the day before if it really doesn't matter. That just drains my energy.
Be Decisive! Save time for the really big decisions, but for all the little ones...well I just decide quickly and get on with it! Decorating, gardening, entertaining, shopping this or that - all the small stuff...I don't waste much time deciding in these areas. Piling this stuff up for any lengthy analysis would just clutter my brain.
Ditch Perfection! I kicked this habit a long time ago and it was the best thing I ever did. Now I see the beauty and quirkiness of imperfection and it has really lightened the load. I live with "good enough is good enough". I'm not suggesting that you bring mediocrity into your life, but lowering the bar for perfection does work. What is perfection anyway? No dirt on the floor? No hair out of place? No fingerprints? Does any of that really matter? (Besides, who's really looking that closely anyway). Perfection is elusive...good enough is not.
Keep Learning! This one's easy for me because I'm a curious seeker. I am mildly obsessed with reading...OK maybe a little more than mild. Anyway, reading affords me the opportunity to learn. I am interested in everything. Reading makes me smarter, more informed, open to new ideas and it helps me learn to live my life better...and that translates to finding more balance.
Stop Worrying! Easy to say...but I try not to worry about things too much. Worrying is such a huge time waster. So I avoid it at all costs. When things are going in the wrong direction (as they often do) I concentrate on the things I have control over and what action I can take. I think about my options and make the best choice I can at the time... and then move on. I trust that the universe will rise up to meet me in the end.
Eliminate the Word Should! Perhaps this comes easier with being "of a certain age". But, I have worked hard to stop doing things I "should" rather than things I "want to". By that I mean stopping all the little voices in my head telling me I should do something because "what will they think" or "they expect me to" or whatever other reason there might be for a should. I ask myself if I "want" to do something...if the answer is yes - I do it. If the answer is no - I don't. The power to choose is always mine.
Now I'm not saying I never do anything I don't like to do such as washing the floor or cleaning the bathroom, but I do it because in the larger picture, I "want" a clean house. The trick is that when you do what you want rather than what you should, you can't fret over what others might think of your decision.
Clean Out the Clutter! I remove anything that brings clutter or stress into my life. This includes possessions, activities and people. People who are negative, dreary, or highly stressed make me anxious so I try my best to move away from these types. I continually question everything. Does this add or detract from my well being? If the answer is yes - I keep it. If the answer is no - I remove it. Getting rid of the clutter and stress in my life always calms me down.
One Thing At A Time! My goal is to concentrate on the present moment. The notion of multi-tasking does not work for me. It only leads to a lack of concentration and nothing gets done with intensity or awareness. Single-tasking throughout the day is my mantra. I find I actually get more done with less stress when I stay focused on one thing at a time. The truth is my "to do" list always has been and always will be never-ending...so I stopped over-planning each day. Instead I choose the 2-3 really important things each day that I must get done. The rest is just frosting! Honestly, the world won't fall apart if much of what's on my "to do" list doesn't ever get done. Single-tasking, not over-planning and knowing what's "really" important just seems to smooth out my days.
Balance is about giving each area a turn in the spotlight -
just not all at the same time."
Lisa Hammond
Here's what I do to keep more balance in my life:
Let It Go! Forget the nonsense. Don't hold anger. I don't replay over and over what happened yesterday and the day before if it really doesn't matter. That just drains my energy.
Be Decisive! Save time for the really big decisions, but for all the little ones...well I just decide quickly and get on with it! Decorating, gardening, entertaining, shopping this or that - all the small stuff...I don't waste much time deciding in these areas. Piling this stuff up for any lengthy analysis would just clutter my brain.
Ditch Perfection! I kicked this habit a long time ago and it was the best thing I ever did. Now I see the beauty and quirkiness of imperfection and it has really lightened the load. I live with "good enough is good enough". I'm not suggesting that you bring mediocrity into your life, but lowering the bar for perfection does work. What is perfection anyway? No dirt on the floor? No hair out of place? No fingerprints? Does any of that really matter? (Besides, who's really looking that closely anyway). Perfection is elusive...good enough is not.
Keep Learning! This one's easy for me because I'm a curious seeker. I am mildly obsessed with reading...OK maybe a little more than mild. Anyway, reading affords me the opportunity to learn. I am interested in everything. Reading makes me smarter, more informed, open to new ideas and it helps me learn to live my life better...and that translates to finding more balance.
Stop Worrying! Easy to say...but I try not to worry about things too much. Worrying is such a huge time waster. So I avoid it at all costs. When things are going in the wrong direction (as they often do) I concentrate on the things I have control over and what action I can take. I think about my options and make the best choice I can at the time... and then move on. I trust that the universe will rise up to meet me in the end.
Eliminate the Word Should! Perhaps this comes easier with being "of a certain age". But, I have worked hard to stop doing things I "should" rather than things I "want to". By that I mean stopping all the little voices in my head telling me I should do something because "what will they think" or "they expect me to" or whatever other reason there might be for a should. I ask myself if I "want" to do something...if the answer is yes - I do it. If the answer is no - I don't. The power to choose is always mine.
Now I'm not saying I never do anything I don't like to do such as washing the floor or cleaning the bathroom, but I do it because in the larger picture, I "want" a clean house. The trick is that when you do what you want rather than what you should, you can't fret over what others might think of your decision.
Clean Out the Clutter! I remove anything that brings clutter or stress into my life. This includes possessions, activities and people. People who are negative, dreary, or highly stressed make me anxious so I try my best to move away from these types. I continually question everything. Does this add or detract from my well being? If the answer is yes - I keep it. If the answer is no - I remove it. Getting rid of the clutter and stress in my life always calms me down.
One Thing At A Time! My goal is to concentrate on the present moment. The notion of multi-tasking does not work for me. It only leads to a lack of concentration and nothing gets done with intensity or awareness. Single-tasking throughout the day is my mantra. I find I actually get more done with less stress when I stay focused on one thing at a time. The truth is my "to do" list always has been and always will be never-ending...so I stopped over-planning each day. Instead I choose the 2-3 really important things each day that I must get done. The rest is just frosting! Honestly, the world won't fall apart if much of what's on my "to do" list doesn't ever get done. Single-tasking, not over-planning and knowing what's "really" important just seems to smooth out my days.
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